1. Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to the assembly of parts and more particularly to the forming and assembly of at least two metal and/or ceramic parts or parts that have different coefficients of thermal expansion.
2. General Background
In the present state of the art, various “3-D printers” use a process that makes parts by spraying glue down and sprinkling metal powder into the glue. The part is built up in layers to form a three-dimensional part which is baked to remove the glue and then sintered to form a structural part. A part formed in this manner is not fully dense (approximately 60% open and 40% dense) at this point in the process and has a very irregular surface, with open and interconnecting porosity. The part is then placed in a container holding a molten metal that has a lower melting point. The part draws the melted metal into the part by wicking and capillary action. The metal drawn into the part is then allowed to solidify.
The present state of the art is limited to forming a single part from metal and does not adequately address the assembly of two or more parts in any form or the assembly of parts that have different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). One important deficiency in the present state of the art is the inability to assemble two or more parts together to produce a single part that does not result in typical problems of reduced strength at the bond area between the original parts. These problems at the bond area are exacerbated where manufacturing requirements or limitations present the situation where two or more small parts must be combined to produce a single larger part having the same physical properties, such as strength and flexibility, as each of the individual smaller parts. Parts having different CTE present special difficulties and needs when being assembled together. If the means used to bind the parts together cannot accommodate the different CTE, the connection between the two parts may break or either one or both of the parts may break during heating or cooling.